East Lancashire

Northern Lights ‘best of sights’ visible from East Lancashire

THIS stunning photograph captures the moment the Northern Lights were visible from East Lancashire.

Amateur photographer Nikki Haden caught the lights, also known as the aurora borealis, from a vantage point at the Singing Ringing Tree, off Burnley’s Crown Point Road.

It is the third time this year that Nikki, from Crawshawbooth, has spotted the glorious glow – but she said this was the best sighting yet.

Nikki, 43, took up photography last year after an accident left her wheelchair-bound. She said: “It’s one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen. We just took a chance with the location, but it turned out brilliantly.”

She took the picture at 1.45am on Tuesday.

Huncoat weather expert Roy Chetham said: “It occurs when energy particles from the sun interact with atoms in the upper atmosphere. When the activity in the magnetic field is so intense, the storms may extend towards the earth’s surface and we can see the glow. It requires a great deal of clear air to be visible this far south.”

Major Tom wrote:
I'd like to see this but some of us have to be in bed to get up for work in a morning. I wish I could stand on an hill in the dead of night taking photos of lights and other things.

It's probably worth waiting up for and being that little bit more tired at work the day after. I just wish it had been publicised a bit more in advance - astronomers knew it would be visible over the UK. If I'd known I would have happily trekked to a hill and lost a bit of sleep. Well done Nikki!

[quote][p][bold]Major Tom[/bold] wrote:
I'd like to see this but some of us have to be in bed to get up for work in a morning. I wish I could stand on an hill in the dead of night taking photos of lights and other things.[/p][/quote]It's probably worth waiting up for and being that little bit more tired at work the day after. I just wish it had been publicised a bit more in advance - astronomers knew it would be visible over the UK. If I'd known I would have happily trekked to a hill and lost a bit of sleep. Well done Nikki!Joseph O'M